Ghost of the Hold
by Rose Tsukiyomi
Summary: On yet another colony world found by the Covenant, a youth finds herself fighting to stay alive and undetected by the aliens invading her world. With a child from the Hold, she finds herself in deeper trouble then before. Now, with the arrival of strangers in armor, there is hope of escape. But with odds stacked against her, will she save them both or is this the end of her story?
1. Chapter 1

Well, I have just freshly gone through and edited this story after re-reading it and finding as the story went on the grammar and spelling got worse.

So, I shined this story all up like a brand new penny. I hope everyone enjoys this story and please review!  
Especially if you want a Part 2 to this storyline. ;p

~ Rose

* * *

Well to start the story off with a bit of who I am, I have no family to speak of, my earliest recollection is waking up in an alley where I had fallen asleep in a cardboard box with a ragged blanket to keep warm as a young child, possibly 4 or 5 years old. I spent the next few years living and learning the ways of the street, never having trusted others too much after an adult had lured me close with some food and tried to grab me while cussing angrily. I am 15 now as far as I know and have been studying all I could find on the Covenant species since the war began many years ago, which an old man I knew had taught me more about. When I met him as a 6 and half year old in the library, he was impressed with my insatiable curiosity, which he spent may following years feeding while also training my body just as much as my mind, before he left a year ago and I returned once more to the streets – better prepared to survive then I had been when he and I had first met.

I have spent the past year running the street and learning every nook and cranny of the city that I could so I could survive and make quick exits after stealing food or things to survive while on my own out here.

But when the shit met fan a few weeks ago when the Covenant had found our colony world I waited till the main combat had settled before venturing out of my underground camps – which I regularly moved to avoid being found and now I run the semi-deserted streets surveying and watching the aliens, picking up bits of the Sangheili language as I watch them over time.

I've done fairly good avoiding getting into conflicts with the far more skilled aliens, using my equally advanced skills of going undetected and ghost-like agility as I move about picking up supplies, food and better versions of the two weapons I specialize with – an old style hunting rifle with a decently powered scope and a bladed staff I think is called a Naginata in Japanese culture. I'm not sure the name exactly, but what I do know is I've been able to hit those who I do fight, hard, fast, and silently enough to leave them either disoriented so I can escape safely or dead like the one Unggoy I did have to kill.

Still bugs me I had to kill it, but I reason it was my only option being so cornered without any options of escape without injury had I not slipped the bladed staff off my back and impaled the creature while it was still stunned at what it had stumbled across – me hiding in a dark alcove with a bundle of freshly pilfered foodstuffs from my latest food run.

That was two days ago and the sounds of fresh battle have prompted me to see about finding a way off the planet before the Sangheili find whatever artifact they seem to be talking about looking for. But thus far my observations have kept them to one location of the city as I move about as secretly as possible. I skirt from the shadows of rubble piles to those in doorways and allies, barely stirring up the dust as I move silently along the street, heading back from the gunshop where I get my ammunition for the rifle I've used a couple times to make the aliens scatter for cover, to allow some other survivors they had cornered to escape somewhat safely before I too hurried out of the area before anyone knew what entirely was happening.

"Those Sangheili are getting wise to me I think. I better step up my search for finding a way off this planet alive before they glass it, with me stuck here." I think to myself grimly as I check the coast is clear both up and down the once bustling main street, having learned by observation to also check for sniper sign before I break cover when I watched another lone person get sniped by one of the alien's glowing projectiles. I hesitate for a moment when I get a bad feeling and checks behind myself cautiously before I slink a bit deeper into my small hidden alcove of rubble, thanking my lucky stars I had listened to my bad feeling when a group of Covenant soldiers round the corner a street up, being rather silent and cautious.

"Hum... Looks like they're on edge... Can't be from little ole me. Must be something else. Maybe soldiers? Just great, if so, from what I've heard from others, soldiers can be just as nasty, but may be the only way outta this mess in one piece." I think concerned as I twitch my ears, listening for anything else out of the ordinary before I turn and move down the dark alley when I'm satisfied it's clear. I move away from the patrol, sticking to my shadow hopping routine.

Some might call me over cautious, but I've seen first hand what the Covenant soldiers do to humans they find, and a group of 10, like that mixed batch of Sangheili, Kig-yar, and Unggoy would be easily a losing fight for me.

I may be a fairly good fighter for a youth my age, but even I know I am no match for a grown Kig-Yar, let alone a Sangheili with the weapons I have, in a head on fight.

I head down another four blocks, ducking into an alcove just as I hear a frightened girl's scream.

"Crap.." I think to myself irritated before quickly adjusting my face cover, double-checking my equipment and ready's both my weapons as I quickly head to the location.

"P-Please... D-dont kill us!" I hear a woman's voice beg terrified and I exhale a calming breath to soothe my tense body thats readying for combat as I slip into a dark alcove nearby the courtyard where the voice is coming from.

I load my rifle as I steal a quick glimpse of the scene as I peer over the broken storefront window's frame. A red haired woman and her two auburn haired daughters have been cornered by two blue armored junior Sangheili, one of which is slowly advancing on the trio of terrified humans.

I half pause when I get the vague feeling of being watched and glances carefully around the street and buildings warily.

But the children's sudden cries of terror snap my focus back to the situation at hand and I shake it off as paranoia when I don't see anything out of the ordinary. So I slip my rifle barrel up and through a crack in the wall where I can stay fairly hidden and my back is protected by the rubble behind me.

I sight in the Sangheili closest the trio and calms my breathing before I fire, reload and fire again on the Sangheili's head, dropping the creature dead with the two shots before I turn my gun on the confused second alien and delivers the same before I load another two rounds into my gun and deadcheck's the two before I slip my rifle away and secrets myself silently over to a spot I can signal to the three while under cover.

"Psst... Psst." I utter curtly, but loud enough they hear and look in my direction, shocked and numb from what they just went through with the aliens and my saving them.

I flick a letter to the trio before I disappear back off into the shadows, going back to my own way, knowing far better than to try and get involved in the three since I'm not prepared or able to defend them without the lot of us getting killed.

It still sickens me that the most I can do is give them the letter's I pre-drew up for these situations which have instructions only people who've lived here would know, lead to a hiding place for survivors that I myself stumbled across and spent some nights at, but left when it was made clear my 'lone wolf' ways were not looked kindly on by the adults. Nor my arguing that their methods would get the place found and attacked by the Covenant. Especially since I did it loud and publicly.

For the next while during my supply run, I can't seem to shake the feeling of being watched and/or followed as I make my way silently through the streets and as a precaution I take some long winding routes through some fairly tight spaces and hidden pathways that only someone as thin and flexible as me could ferret themselves through.

But on my way to finally return to my camp, I hear an all too familiar scream come from down the street near the food mart I used to camp near in an underground parking lot not far away.

"That's Saje! What's that girl doing out here without her parents...!" I skid to a stop in some cover, abruptly stopping my forward advance before I turn and bolt off down the street, pin-balling from shadow to shadow as I prep my naginata, which I favor mainly over my gun which is too noisy in this auditorium like atrium.

I take a back door to an old bakery after surveilling a single red armored Sangheili having cornered little, auburn haired Saje, amongst some rubble, her hazel eyes locked in terror on the immensely larger Sangheili as he takes something off his belt which I know as some kind of weapon. But little 5 year old Saje hasn't a clue as she stares up at the alien in pure terror.

I waste no time and comes around the back then without hesitation leaps high and out through the windowless storefront, flipping my staff about then brings my blade down through the thin gap of their helmet, leaving a long trailing cut on their face. Which forces them back up a few steps surprised as my boots come down with a deliberately heavy thud when I land in front of Saje protectively.

I begin backing the alien up a few further steps with my continued attacks while they're confused and stunned.

"Ghost!" Saje cries the nickname I had been given during my stay with the refugees as she watches me back the sangheili up with relief.

The alien says something in his own tongue, something along the lines of calling me an irritating pest. But I snort and gives him a good lash of my blade across his exposed abdomen.

"I've heard better from (in sangheili:) _idiots_." I snort, watching his posture perk both confused and surprised as I stand in front of Saje protectively.

"Ghost! I came looking for you! Something's happened!" Saje jumps to my side and grabs my belt, emotionally, seeming to forget all about the mess she's gotten into with the Sangheili.

I half look at her and opens my mouth to order her to run, but my lapse in focus gives the Sangheili the opening he needed to rush in and without hesitation, backhand's me flying into a rubble pile, hard enough to knock the wind out of me and undoubtedly bruise some of my ribs or crack them as I impact then drop to the ground gasping for air helplessly cussing myself in my head for my rookie mistake.

I know I've just sunk the two of us by taking my focus off my opponent but it's too late now, I can kick myself later _if we survive_.

But as I slowly roll onto my side, catching sight of the Sangheili raising his pistol to line up a shot with me, I know that later may not come and this is going to be it if I don't somehow pull a miracle out of thin air and somehow get my body moving through the spasms to cover and somehow snap Saje out of her shock to get her moving to cover or out of the immediate area where I can meet up with her.

"Move damnit!" I cuss to myself as I begin to rise obviously in pain.

But just as I think the two of us are totally screwed three massive shadows pass over me, turning the once semi-peaceful atrium into an echoing hall of gunfire as the three massive olive green armored people land in front of me as I smack my chest, trying to reset my breathing as I sorely rise to my feet, picking my staff up as I see a shadow come up near Saje from the store giving his cohorts help.

"RUN!" I suddenly bark to Saje who's totally unaware of the danger and transfixed on these newcomers. I cuss something rather foul in another human language that I have learned in the time I spend in the library as I suddenly rush over to her, stowing my staff across my back, scoops her up and uses the much larger person as a moving gymnastic vault to leap up and over them as I head past them and through the back of the building, unknowingly leaving a trail of blood behind myself from a semi-new wound having been re-opened by the Sangheili when they smacked me.


	2. Chapter 2

I eventually limp into the dark halls of the place I've come to call my camp, for now.

It is many levels below the city in a city maintenance room that asides a mattress I'd managed to find not far from here and my small fire, does not show any signs of life in the otherwise bare polycrete room. There's some rubble around inside both the room and outside in the tunnel.

"This is where you live Ghost?" Saje looks up at me curiously as I stride over to a rubble pile and pulls out a couple dusty bundles, one of which I hand to her and motions to the room.

"For now." I state a bit gruffly, though its the best I can manage to hide the pain I'm now in from my wound being torn open.

"Wow.. It's... So dark. Aren't you scared of something coming out of the dark like those monsters?" she looks up at me as I walk to the room and begins to work on getting the small fire going to warm the room and give us some light.

"Monsters? The Sangheili?" I question thoughtfully as I spark the fire with a knife and magnesium stone I had in my survival kit.

"Those big monsters like the one which you saved me from!" she beams as she settles down beside me as I half look at her silently. I can't help but wonder how she could see that pitiful attempt to protect her as successful in any way.

"If it hadn't been for those strangers we would've both died then and there." I think to myself cynically as I consider her a moment, but lets it go and returns my focus to getting the fire going.

"They're a leading race of the alien group attacking the planet which call themselves the Covenant, that race of 'monster' as you call them, is called Sangheili." I explain as I stand up and walks over to my bed, beginning to take my weapons off methodically along with my supply belts.

"Wow! How do you know so much?!" she looks at me so fascinated as I set my rifle down, noting the blood on it and curses myself quietly, having been worried I'd torn the stitching on the old wound on my side from the pain and that blood only confirms the fight did and the amount on the stock doesn't bode well for the seriousness of the re-opened injury.

"I've quietly watched them since the attack. Like how I followed Jeri to the Hold and met you. Which reminds me, what happened?" I look at her curiously, both for answers but also to explain the very sudden tension and fear I detect from her, reaching for my staff still on my back.

I note her looking at something in the doorway and in what I always thought was too fast for anyone to put up a defence I flip my staff off my back to bring it to bear.

However I hardly get halfway turned about and my staff to bear before someone's large gloved hand clamps down on my leading wrist and flips the staff from my hand as they flip me about and put me into a strong headlock almost too fast for me to process fully what's occurring.

But I'm only some ticks behind them before I begin feeling their armored forearm in feigned panic, looking for some weak points to hit as I struggle just as my staff clatters to the floor.

Not a word is uttered.

No warning.

No orders.

Just the muzzle of a rifle gets stuck in my sightline, aimed at my head – making the point clear, I stop struggling right now. We've been caught. By who or what, I've the sinking feeling we will find out and I wont like it.  
I grit my teeth and relaxes, holding my hands up parallel with the forearm of the one holding me easily a foot and some more off the floor – a feat for even some of the strongest humans I've met who complain I'm too heavy.

If they only knew my secrets and how right many of them were calling me a freak of nature.

"Let Ghost go!" I hear Saje protest, beating on the armored leg of the one holding the gun to me feebly, which I can partially see and the sight of her bravery – though how misplaced it may be, brings up something I haven't done for many years – a laugh.

I laugh suddenly at the sight, causing the one holding me to shift as the other holding the gun looks back at me, both obviously confused.

"Saje. Why not ask nicely?" I suggest hoarsely, catching half sight of her stop pounding on the person's leg and stands her ground stubbornly, though the tears forming around the edges of her eyes are clear at her emotional upset.

"Please let Ghost go... She's the only one who can save my family from the monsters." she sniffles then sinks to her knees crying and I grit my teeth and gently pats the forearm of the one holding me to signal to let me go.

Which after a short few seconds, they do and I smoothly drop to my feet and sink to one knee in front of Saje who's blubbering and crying emotionally as I gently place my hand on her shoulder.

"The Hold was found?" I question, my less strained and closer voice gets her to lift her head and look up at me as tears roll down her cheeks, shining in the flickering light of my small fire.

"Please Ghost... You've gotta save them! You're the only one I know who can!" she urges, jumping closer and takes ahold of my jacket's edges, full of emotion but also the history of what she saw happen in the Hold.  
"M-m-m-mommy... T-t-t-t-told m-me-me-me... T-t-t-to...F-f-f-f-f-f-fi-fi-find.. Y-y-y-y-y-you!" she finally breaks down sobbing incoherently and I gently wrap my left arm around her, pulling her to my chest as I regretfully hang my head in silence.

Now knowing the explosions and fighting I'd heard earlier in the day had been indeed from the Hold's last survivors fighting to survive and being wounded like I am, I won't stand any chance going in to help on the narrow chance there will be survivors if the Covenant have found them..

I wait patiently in silence as Saje eventually exhausts herself crying into my chest while I gently rub her back then exhales regretfully, scooping her up with my good arm and transfers her over to the bed and gently pulls the ragged blanket over her before I slip my jacket off and lays it over her as well.

I silently pull my mid-sized backpack over to myself and opens the main pocket, slipping a fairly neatly kept stuffed rabbit toy and slips it between her arm and chest for her to cuddle with. Smiling slightly when she pulls it to herself with a quiet coo, calling for her mother.

I gently move some hair from her face and sets my hand on the bed, hanging my head in regret there was nothing I could do and all my warnings of this went unheeded.

I stiffen up and picks up the med kit from out of the same bag and rises stiffly to my feet and strides to the door, where one of the four man group moves to block me but I reveal a shocking secret to them when I suddenly slip past in a flick of movement before they can stop me or cover the whole doorway.

I turn and stalk off down the hall to get some distance away to a room I know of that has a shower and where I can let out my frustration and anger without the vibrations or sounds disturbing Saje.

"Stop right there! Or we will fire!" I hear a male voice command as I get five long steps from the four. I do as ordered, tense and obviously ready to drive my fist into something from how my body shakes with the anger I'm dealing with.

"Look. I've got wounds I need to treat. There's a shower and room I can get cleaned up and sew it shut again down the hall. And keep your damn voice down. Saje's been through enough today witnessing who knows what, but can guarantee it wasn't pretty." I growl as I begin to feel some blood sliding down the side of my right thigh as I half turn and look at the two men and one female watching me with their rifles raised.

I turn my back to them when I see the marginal hesitation and relaxation that reminds me of how I can control my movements to be so fine and hardly noticeable. "It never is." I finish staring down the hall and continues walking unbothered.

I feel two of the team follow me down the hall, one walking up closer to me while the other stays a 'safe' distance back.

"How bad are you injured?" they ask, looking down at me as I continue down the hall and exhales some of my tension, knowing if I don't it'll only cause me problems with tight or sore muscles later.

"Don't worry about it. I'll deal with it." I state simply as I walk around the corner and snaps a glowstick that I've fished off my hip, tossing it into the room with the shower, giving it a careful look over.

I drive my fist into the concrete and tile doorway when the armored soldier tries to precede me into the room and clear it, causing the other one behind us to suddenly stiffen as I turn and position myself with my back to the room and my chest facing the stranger as I look unbothered up at their helmet's gold visor.

"Good. Now that I've your full damn attention. I work alone for a damn reason – I've seen too many die and been back stabbed, sometimes literally by those I've trusted. Before this goes any further. I want to know here and now where you lot stand. Do I need to sleep with my can opener?" I demand, crossing my arms and revealing exactly how unusual my body is for a 15 year old by how much muscle definition I have and my height, and of course a keen eye would have spotted, there was not a fleck of blood on my fist from where I punched about an inch through the tile to the polycrete below.

"Can opener hm?" The one standing in front of me muses, seemingly amused by my manor and I smirk confidently.

"I may be young and shorter then you. But don't let that blind you. I can get along perfectly fine without you lot to babysit." I state, looking up at him utterly calm, but every muscle poised in my body to fight like most conflicts like this tend to escalate to. But he surprises me by relaxing visibly.

"I believe it. But you're not alone anymore." he states simply as we size one another up in silence for a moment before I relax slightly, giving him a slight look over before I too relax fully with a confirming nod before I turn around and heads into the room and begins to strip out of my clothes, which I throw into the sink before setting to work washing them, after setting my med kit and helmet on the floor nearby.

"So, what is your name?" he questions, standing by the door like a guard as I wash my dirt and blood encrusted clothes.

"Never had one." I answer honestly, a bit unsure of this kind of interaction. Since no one has ever really shown this kind of interest in me for a long time.

Least since, _he_ trained me how to survive.

"I've been known by Ghost for a long time. I guess I could take it as my name. Seems to fit." I say with a bit of a verbal shrug as I wring out my rinsed clothes carefully.

"Oh... I see. You've no family?" he questions curiously after a moment of silence as I take off my underwear and drops it by the sink before I stride over to the shower and turns the water on, letting loose a hiss when the ice cold water hits my skin.

"I hate... Cold... Showers..." I grumble when I hear him shift, seeming concerned at my hiss, apparently mistaking it for pain – which he is partially right. The water hurts like hell as it washes my wound clean.

"And no. I've no family. Guess they threw me out when they found out I'm not normal. A freak... So I'm told by those who shun me." I state as I wash the sweat, dirt and blood off myself before walking over to my tool belt and pulls a knife out of it, walking back over to the water and begins to cut and remove the stitching I'd put into the 6 inch long curved cut on the right side of my rib cage. Gritting my teeth against the pain of the water washing it out.

"Whatever I am. I don't care the term. It wont change what I am or who." I grunt as I pull some of the last line out of the wound, ignoring the fresh blood that spills out, turning the water very dark crimson.

"Guess that's a way of... Looking at it... Hey, you sure you're alright? That's a bad injury." he pauses, obviously noticing my wound or watching with surprise as I turn the water off and walk over to a rubble pile, pulling a bag out that I've a towel stored in, which I used to carefully dry some of the water off myself before putting some clean underwear on.

"Yeah. I'll be fine... Like I said. I always wind up in some kind of hot water when I've worked with others. This just reminded me for my trouble." I state as I lay the towel over a pipe to dry as I kneel down to the medkit and opens it, revealing an almost medieval looking assortment of items, including fishing line and curved sewing needles.

"You can't be serious... That kind of equipment is grossly inefficient..." I hear a woman complain from the doorway and I flip some of my hair out of my face as I pickup the chosen needle and threads it, ignoring her.

"Ain't your body. And besides, hospitals don't treat kids like me. You learn how to handle most injuries on your own or die trying. They don't care either way." I scoff as I snip the required thread before I smirk.

"Cides, they can't pierce my skin and have no clue the amount of painkillers to give me that will work to dull the pain." I smirk before I set the needle and thread down and picks up the bottle of home made disinfectant which I pop the top on and pours some over the wound, cussing loudly as it begins to hiss and bubble violently.

I continue washing the wound out until the reaction is a minimal level before I put the cap securely back on and takes a partial break, panting.

I stiffen slightly when I feel a gloved hand gently touch my shoulder and turns my head slightly to see the strange soldier kneel down beside me as his female comrade kneels down on the other side and picks up the needle and thread.

I look at the two of them truely puzzled then smiles faintly and closes my eyes, moving my right arm out of the way, leaving it open for them to stitch when I see we've some kind of understanding.

I must admit as she weaves the needle in and out, bringing the edges of the wound together that she doesn't have any of the same difficulty any normal person has had in the past when they tried to help me with stitching my injuries together. Perhaps its her armor? Or something else?

"Is this how you've always tended wounds like this?" I hear the man question noting my other scars, helping me keep stable as she sews up my side carefully and I nod carefully, obviously feeling everything by my posture and manor while the woman sews.

"Yup. I learned some of this through study and the man who took me in, taught me most of what I know about combat and survival some years ago. He was tough. But fair. Never did get to know his name, just learned _Yes Sir_ or _No Sir _in one hell of a hurry." I snicker somewhat as she pauses sewing for a moment before continuing.

"Sounds like you respect him." he muses understanding as she ties the last few knots, before moving on to the antiseptic cream and putting a large bandage on it.

"He gave me a place to call home. Safe place to lay my head. He fed me. Gave me clothes and a life a never imagined I could be worthy of, being what I am. He gave me value of my life and that cannot be repaid with any words, or tribute." I explain sincerely, stiffening a bit when she applies the salve.

"You okay?" she pauses, noting my tension and I exhale.

"It's cold." I grumble with a slight pout, noting the slight glance she gives to her team mate before she continues applying it.

"So... What happened to him? Did he die when the planet was attacked?" he continues asking questions, my guess to keep my focus on talking with him to get my mind off what his team mate is doing, I just smile internally at the effort.

"He just up and left one day. A few weeks before the planet was hit. So I have my doubts he was here, seemed more like he left for somewhere. He did tell me one thing before he left which gave me some warning he was moving on. He told me to remember and practice what he taught me. But never forget one very important thing." I explain calmly as she begins to apply the bandage calmly after wiping the salve off her glove on my towel.

"He told me; War's don't last forever and one day, I will need to live and survive as more then just as someone good at fighting, but as a normal person too." I state calmly, helping her wrap some gauze around my chest to hold the bandage in place, before we secure it in place.

"So. Are you UNSC?" I question finally unable to help my curiosity as I help put my med kit back together and snaps it closed. I take note of the hesitation from the two and knowingly lets them have their silence while I take out a fresh set of clothes from the same bag my towel had come from and begins to get dressed calmly.

It stays fairly quiet until we're walking back together that the man finally answers me.  
"Yes." he states with some suspicion but I guess I only confuse as I smile and nod gently.

"Well that's good. For once I'll be able to sleep with _both_ eyes closed tonight." I smile thankfully and relaxed.

Later that evening I do get to know more of this strange team, chatting with them quietly. I chat quietly with the one man, but also spends just as much time observing them interact while I do my usual night time routines, maintaining my rifle and other weapons along with checking my bag's supplies and stored supply levels.

Always with one of them following me around as I dig through the odd stores of supplies I have scattered around the rubble piles and rooms. Eventually I settle in to get some sleep with my back to the corner of the room and my rifle lain across my lap, letting Saje keep my bed undisturbed.

I may feel somewhat at ease with this group of strangers but I've learned the hard way too often not to trust freely and despite everything they have done and shown me of their character's, I still sleep very lightly that night.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning I surprise the guard they've posted when I return with some fish and hunks of meat, in what has become known by those who lived in the Hold as my 'uniform'.

It's a ragged looking set of brown jeans with body armor underneath, a medium grey canvas jacket with an obviously custom bulletproof vest underneath.

I of course have two brown thigh bags on in lue of my backpack, which attach to my belt securely. My belt also has various other smaller pockets and pouches across the length of it, most of the time full with one thing or another. But never seem to weigh much for me or slow me down.

I also wear a dark grey, fitted mask that comes out from the base of my neck to the top of my nose and along the tops of my cheeks, hugging my face well.

A matte black helmet with dark tinted visor obscures the rest of my face and tops my whole look off. Just my look alone has made opponents think twice about tangling with me when I arrived at the Hold.

I walk past them, this time on top of the foodstuffs I'm carrying, I'm also carrying another bag that looks overburdened and heavy by the items I'd managed to cram into it.

The team's guard doesn't say anything to me when I appear. They just watch in silence as I stride past, obviously gnawing on something serious that's bothering me.

It doesn't take me long at the quick pace I'm walking to stride into my room, which has become the shared accommodations of Saje, the soldiers and myself.

I stride into the doorway and forces myself to relax as Saje jumps to her feet, suddenly smiling brightly.

"Ghost! I told them you'd be back!" She jogs over to me happily as I exhale and offers her the bag calmly.

"I picked you up some supplies." I try to state in a friendly manor, though it's hard with what I just saw in the remaints of the Hold and those who took shelter there.

I watch her wrap her relatively small arms excitedly around the bag, thanking me before scuttling off to the bed where she begins to happily open and dig through its contents while I walk over and drops the dead and cleaned animals by one of the soldier's working on cooking some food making them pause and look at me.

"This might help make a meal." I state before I turn on my heel and strides out of the room, having lost the fight to hold face at seeing Saje and how happy she is.

I jog off down the tunnel and down to the large sewer tunnel where I've spent time in the past practising with my staff in peace and safety.

I strip off my belt and its associated bags in one string and hangs it on a couple out hanging pipes along with my jacket and sweater, leaving my arms bare and chest armor on as I begin to practice my fighting techniques.

I work up a hard sweat and pushes myself beyond the point of just panting as I roll my staff over my shoulders and spins about on my heel, whipping around to bring the blade to bear at the throat of something I felt come up closer and stops it just before drawing blood. "Its not wise to sneak up on people." I half scold as I relax and goes back to my practice unbothered by the brown haired man's presence. Then again, he doesn't seem much older then I am now that I know what he and his comrades look like without their helmets on. Which is something I also find puzzling.

"What happened?" he questions, watching me as I continue practising, my jaw set and muscles tense from the memories of what I saw.

"There's nothing left of The Hold. Some bodies, including those of her surviving family." I grind my teeth as I suddenly whip about and using my staff's blade, eviscerates a passing rat in the shadows, it's dead body dropping to the walkway with a couple twitches.

"I warned the people in charge it was a matter of time the Covenant found them and they ignored me because of my youth and gender... Now everyone is dead. It's just frustrating they wouldn't listen to me.." I growl driving the butt of my staff into the bricks angrily, crushing the one directly beneath it.

I exhale frustrated but obviously more relaxed now that I've burnt off my anger as I lean up against the wall opposite him, watching the water flow between us silently.

"Well. If Saje escaped, then there might be other survivors..." He offers the idea hopefully as I exhale slightly relaxed before I lean down and picks up the rat.

"There were signs she wasn't the only one. But that still doesn't ignore the hard and indigestible fact hundreds of people just died and it was totally preventable. War is indeed a great waste." I grumble as I stand back up and tucks the rat's body into a pouch on my belt before I step over to my stuff and begins to re-dress as he watches in total silence.

After a few seconds I relax and half look at him with a slight smirk "What no comment about rat for dinner?" I half smile as I slip my jacket back on getting an odd look from him before he sees my smile and seems to smile himself, though its hard to tell with his helmet back on.

"Nope." he states simply making me laugh a bit as I pickup my staff and flips it around to the holders on my back.

"Oh just wait. Saje's reaction's priceless. Unless she really does want to be like me like she said." I chuckle slightly, shaking my head fondly as the two of us begin walking back.

"Why?" he looks at me obviously puzzled as we walk back to the room together beside one another.

"Its what children do. They tend to see things for what they are or in a simple way, without the twisting and discoloration that comes with growing up – Black and white as adults coined long ago. If they like something they want it. If they meet a person they like, they usually stick close and try to mimic or be like that person. I never really understood it myself, but I just accept it as kids being kids and its what they do." I explain as best I can as we walk back. "I don't mind it too much. It's just strange, having been on my own this long, to have someone so small and fragile trust me so fully and easily when most others around wont have anything to do with me for what I am." I explain, folding my hands behind my head casually as I walk along comfortably beside him.

"Hm... I guess... I've been meaning to ask about your... Augmentations..." He questions unsurely looking at me and stiffens slightly in surprise when I blink, unfolding my hands as I look at him blankly before suddenly starts laughing and pats his arm amused.

"Augmentations... Now that's a good one. No, I'm not surgically augmented. I've always been this way ever since I can remember." I chuckle amused as we keep walking, though his rapt attention is on me.

"There's suggestion that my physiology could've been achieved by in-vitro augmentation or even full artificial creation of a human fetus. But I don't see anyone putting that kind of money and time into such a project only to have an investment like that wasted like this. But going on that: My guess has been, the only group with those kind of resources would be the UNSC and they wouldn't just let a valuable subject disappear like this without some kind of leash or damn good reason. Unless it was an unsanctioned project by a scientist and I was tossed out to hopefully survive on my own to save my life when they were found busted, possibly on another program and the one that created me wasn't ever known. Who knows... I've thought up as many theory's as there are stars. But I can't change how I came to be or what I am. So I'm not going to worry about it unless I have to." I smile calmly as we round the last corner and I hear Saje crying emotionally and exhales wearily, beginning to jog back to the room with him, worried about why she's crying.

"Has the Covenant surprised them before a gunfight could erupt to warn us?" I think concerned about what we are going to find.


	4. Chapter 4

I stop in the doorway of the shared room to come across the scene of Saje sitting on my bed crying emotionally about something and the two soldiers inside obviously at an utter loss.

"Saje why are you crying?" I exhale tiredly, pulling my mask down before she suddenly springs up and latches onto my left leg, looking up at me hopefully.

"They told me I had to take a bath!" she whines and I blink blankly as I look at her for a moment before I look up at the two soldiers with a raised eyebrow.

"She's covered in dirt and blood..." one defends dryly and I blink looking back down at her then back to them in unreadable silence for a moment, taking in the whole situation of the soldiers being at such a loss with little Saje's balling.  
"That's... It?" I think to myself before suddenly letting a grin spread on my face and I being laughing hard, causing the soldiers to tense confused and surprised while Saje stops crying and looks up at me sniffling, also puzzled. I laugh hard and shakes my head wholly amused that these obviously capable soldiers are at such a loss with a small child, reminding me of how I used to be not too long ago with children.

"Hahaha. Oh, too funny. Sorry I had to laugh. I've been there before, and now I see why the dad laughed so hard at me. Same reaction." I wave my hand dismissively, wiping tears off my face with the other as I chuckle. "And yes, Saje. You've new, clean clothes. You should get washed up and I'll check you over for any injuries before we sit down to eat." I state calmly before I pull the dead rat from the pocket and tosses it to the one cooking the meat.

"Well done if you can please." I smirk calmly as Saje suddenly squeals grossed out.

"EEEWWWW! A RAT?! You're gonna eat a rat, Ghost?!" she flails and squeals as I laugh again and begins walking over to my wash kit and picks it up calmly, along with my med kit.

"Yeah. Though, gotta watch I don't eat too many, or I start craving cheese." I joke to her, getting a blank look from her for a moment before she begins giggling like she hadn't been balling emotionally only moments before.

"You're silly." she giggles as I smile and walks over to her and kneels down to her.

"So, gonna join me for a wash or do I gotta go all by myself?" I smirk, looking at her calmly and watches her stand straighter and nod surely.

"Nope! I'm coming too!" She states definitely and I chuckle, handing her the towel and her new clean clothes.

"Good. Move out missy." I state as she nods, turns and bolts out of the room and I chuckle rising to my feet and calmly walks to the door to follow her.

"How do you do that so easily?" the young man I'd been walking with to here questions, watching her hop along going down the hallway as I step out of the room, watching her also.

"Like I said before – war's end and I'm going to need to know how to survive. Social skills are just as valuable as weapons handling or hand to hand combat, in civilian life. I may not ever be totally skilled with them as I am conventional weapons but it'll be passable for me to survive." I smile calmly before I head off down the hall to not let her get too far away unprotected.

The shower goes fairly well and she helps me re-wrap my bandaging before I help her scrub then lets her quickly rinse off and helps her get quickly dried off.

"Ghost... What'll happen to me now?" she questions surprisingly thoughtful with an almost eerie calmness which makes me exhale calmly as I pause drying her hair and puts the towel over my shoulder as I begin to brush out her hair gently.

"I don't know Saje. They may send you to relatives now that your parents are gone." I exhale regretfully as I mindfully work the knots from her hair.

"So... Mommy and daddy really are dead...?" she questions after falling silent for a time as I get her hair brushed and braided.

"Yes." I answer blunt but understanding as I stand up and begins to put the wash kit and medkit back together.

"Do you think we'll die too?" she finally turns to me with some concern and I smile faintly as I snap the lid closed on the medkit and turns back to her.

"Eventually. But I'm not gonna let you die here. I'm just too stubborn to let that old goat be right." I wink at her confidently, watching her worried expression melt to a smile as she hops to her feet and jumps excitedly.

"Yeah! Old goat!" she parrots and I laugh a bit before picking up the two kits, adjusting my outfit slightly.

"Ready to go eat?" I smile calmly, watching her snap up her bag and nod surely. "Yup!" she smiles and I walk to the door and checks it's clear before I step out calmly.

"Alright, practice what I showed you." I motion and watches her carefully check before leaving the room and begins my method of shadow hopping down the hall back to the room as I calmly walk along, following her and watching carefully.

"Hm. She's gotten better." I think to myself as I follow her quietly all the way back to the room where she darts in and chirps happily and pokes her head out to see where I am, but I scoop her up and throws her over my shoulder with a playful chuckle, making her squeak and flail, laughing too.

"Ghoooooossstttt!" she giggles as I set my stuff down and bounces her off my shoulder, into my arms chuckling.

"Gotcha! You've been practising while I've not been watching!" I smile proudly as I let her sit on my left forearm as we join the others by the fire.

"Yup!" She beams as I sit down with her and smiles calmly.

"Good! Keep it up and soon you'll be better then me!" I encourage her, watching her look at me simply. "But no one could be better then yoou Ghost." she protests honestly and I laugh, petting her head gently.

"Thanks Saje. But remember, there will always be someone stronger, faster, or luckier then you. But the stronger, faster and smarter we get, it just means the number of those people gets smaller." I smile warmly, catching my cooked rat calmly.

"EEEWWW!" She flails and hops off my lap as I chuckle.

"Whaaat?" I smirk as I begin to eat as she settles warily down by one of the soldiers and begins eating with them, warily watching me pick the meat off the rat calmly.

"How long have you lived like this?" the sniper of the group finally asks me thoughtfully as I pick a partially cooked piece of meat out from the fire and begins to eat that after crunching down the last bones of the rat.

"Almost my entire life, outside the years I trained with the old man who took me in for a time." I smile calmly and begins to eat the meat calmly.

"Okay, we've word from command. Pickup is in 2 hours." the fifth member, I've only begun to observe says smoothly as they walk into the room.

"Good to know. I was gonna move camp anyways if you didn't get word by the end of mealtime." I state smoothly before I bite down into the meat and rises to my feet, quickening my consumption.

"You both are coming with us." he states, more of a command than a request or _friendly note_ as I walk to the doorway with my staff in hand calmly.

"Not gonna argue. Lets just be clear. I offer no guarantees, only that kid's life and my own take priority. You or your team fuck anything up to endanger us and I will make you wish you were back in boot with your TI screaming at you to hustle them buns. Got me?" I look directly into his golden visor seriously. We stand in front of one another in tense silence for a time before he nods once.

"We move out in 30 minutes." he states and I smirk satisfied.

"Then you better hustle and eat something." I pat his shoulder before I jog off and begin to pack up my necessary supplies, leaving any food I'd stockpiled behind, except some candy I'd saved for Saje and the other children in the Hold.

I return 20 minutes after I'd left, packing a duffel bag over my shoulder calmly and sets it down on my bed.

"Empty your bag Saje and lay your stuff out there, you'll help carry stuff." I order as she plays with her bunny but quickly jumps into action, bringing her bunny along.

"No rocks...?" she peers at my bag calmly and I chuckle amused that she remembers when I had been training her to move quick and silent while carrying rocks in her backpack.

"Not this time. Just clothes and stuff for you. Oh hey. I bet ya'll are getting low." I state tossing a bag of military ammunition and magazines fully loaded, to one of the team and tosses another a bag loaded with different types of grenades to them as well.

"I make sure to keep my weapons cache well stocked in case of shit meeting fan." I explain calmly when I get a questioning look when the two bags are opened revealing their contents.

"If you don't wana be a pack rat, don't eat rats." I poke Saje jokingly who makes a grossed out face as she dumps out her bag for me to repack for her.

"Yuckie." she groans as I unpack my bag and in the ten minutes we have left I get my clothes changed and unused body armor on under my brand new 'uniform' and my belt and equipment bags re-loaded with supplies, my staff's blade sharpened, Saje's and my bag's packed up (with my backpack stuffed in the duffel neatly) and finally Saje's bunny securely tied to the underside of her backpack so she wont lose it and keeps her hands free on whatever hectic incidents may happen on our trek to their pickup zone.

The soldiers on the other hand, have less to do and simply watch my practised work to prep Saje and myself to leave the planet while they pick out a route to travel on the map to their LZ.

"Where's the LZ?" I question as I secure the duffel onto my back calmly, carrying my staff in my hand while I've got my rifle slung over my shoulder securely.

"Here." the one I figure is the team's leader, points to the map as I kneel down with my staff between two of them calmly.

"That's not a fun run. There's many sniper nests and a couple turrets between here and there. And if I'm right that nasty red armored Sangheili I met awhile ago is in command of patrols there." I think, trying to work out a safer, alternate route in my head silently while speaking.

"Whats your idea to get there?" I question finally, to stall for more time and get a bead on their ideas. I listen as the leader explains the route, why, and their plans to deal with any problems or patrols. I nod once and rise to my feet calmly.

"Or you could follow us. The sewers and tunnels lead to a drainage tunnel not far from there and lets out to a 200 yard run to cover. The tunnels here through to here are reinforced, only a nuke could compromise them, these ones are older and might be caved in, but backtrack a few yards and there's an access tunnel that can go around it and lets out there..." I begin to explain the underground and 'less chance of conflict with Covenant' route, which is what Saje and I will take, no matter what they do.

"And the Sangheili ain't dumb, they'll figure out I wasn't the one who killed that one in the red armor earlier. And the occupants of the Hold were never that bold or skilled enough. They'll step up their patrols to prevent trouble from getting in the way of their search for their god's relic." I explain seriously.

"What? You heard them talk about an alien relic..? Here?" the leader stands, looking at me suddenly interested and alert and I put my left hand on my hip.

"Yup. They keep complaining about it being hard to find. Though they can track it. I heard some Unggoy – the short ones, muttering about the Sangheili complaining it seems to have a mind of its own and keeps moving around the city testing their resolve or some kind of religious faith to acquire it. I've even spent some time trying to find out what it is, but I come up dry." I explain calmly, opening my mouth to continue, but a series of explosions thunder down the hall causing the room to shake and dust to fall from the cracks in the walls and roof around us.

Saje attaches to my leg fearfully as I tense and grit my teeth, picking her up with one arm and moves to the door, knowing my last resort security measure just got tripped by something not human.

"Time to go." I state seriously and begins quickly moving down the hall to escape.


	5. Chapter 5

"What was that?!" The brown haired man questions concerned.

"I really need to get his name" I think as they fall in with me as I move down the hall quickly and silently.

"A couple lotus mines setup to a bio-detector I set to go off if something the size of a Sangheili passed by. I answer grimly, setting Saje down as I stop by an odd, rusted looking thin metal door which I rip off its hinges with my hand, revealing a long pipe leading downwards at a good slope as they pause nearby on guard from my words about the boobytrap they themselves could have set off following Saje and I here.

"Count to ten and follow me one by one. And no screaming." I touch Saje's nose before I hop in and begins sliding down. I drop out kneeling with my weapon at the ready and checks the tunnel before I step aside and catches Saje carefully when she pops out. I set her down on the walkway away from the pipe and adjusts my mask calmly as we wait. But sooner then later the whole team is together once more and follows the two of us through the tunnels to a cave in I didn't know about and I cuss after examining one of the rocks carefully, tossing it back to the pile grumpily.

"Fuck... We're gonna have to take a surface route to reconnect. The last passage to go around was almost half a mile back." I grumble irritated before I punch the steel door to the surface route and pulls it open, beginning up the stairs cautiously with one of the soldiers just a step behind me, Saje protectively kept amongst the group of armored soldiers.

"What was that about it being safe?" The one I've been chatting with finally pokes jokingly as we take cover in an old storefront, looking out at a nest of Covenant soldiers and a turret blocking our progress.

"Last time I went past here it was clear. Only the normal patrols." I deflect dryly as I stow my staff onto my bag and begins readying my rifle.

"You'll go around with the girl. We will deal with the Covenant." the leader orders as I quickly check over my rifle.

"Will do.." I exhale, not looking forward to the conflict that'll probably have the Covenant on our heels the whole way. But as I check to see where Saje is so we can get going again and put her at my side I notice shes gone.

"Oh bloody hell..." I cuss under my breath as I look around quickly to see if I can spot her and stops when I catch wind of her and one of the soldiers put their hand on my shoulder tensely. I turn stiffly in time to see a Unggoy usher her frightened, out to the Sangheili in charge.

"Damn it all..." I cuss to myself as I watch tensely. I hold up my fist when I feel the soldiers move, causing them to all stop dead and watch as I motion to a cloaked Sangheili patrolling near us. I slip into the shadows with the others silently and watches the Sangheili pass unaware of us, out of the corner of my eye while keeping my focus on Saje's safety while she speaks with the Sangheili in charge. I watch her shift worriedly and I tense hearing her explain something about my necklace she had seen during our shower together.

I set my rifle down, glancing at the soldiers and signs I'm going out there and slips the blue lapis beaded necklace I'd made during the fall of our home world with a strange gem I'd taken from the museum to protect its loss, having always been drawn to its unearthly glow and energy. I rise and step forward, causing the soldiers to tense and one to move to stop me, but I sign for them to stop.

"Lets hope my crazy luck isn't just a rumor." I mutter with a slight wink before I step out into the light.

"Ghost!" she cries my name as I step out and calmly walks forward with the necklace plainly displayed on my wrist like a bracelet, playing ignorant to the invisible Sangheili on my right as I slowly pass them to come to a stop in full view of the aliens. I suddenly whip on my footing, bringing the butt of my disassembled staff to bear at the throat of the hidden Sangheili.

"Move and I'll draw my blade to taste your blood. Now back off." I hiss in my best understanding of their native language, causing the entire group of aliens to shift surprised and the Unggoy to begin muttering amongst themselves.

"You can speak their language?!" Saje blinks surprised and I smirk slightly.

"Enough to understand they planned on killing you after they were satisfied with the information you'd given them, had I not revealed myself." I scold her a bit grumpily, watching her look between the red armored Sangheili and myself surprised.

"Foolish human." The Sangheili I've cornered snorts as he drops his camouflage.

"Perhaps. How sure are you? Are you willing to risk this gem on your gamble?" I state utterly calm, flicking the gem pointedly.

"Stand down." I hear a Sangheili in red armor order gruffly causing the other to shoot him a glare before relaxing and steps back, obviously not happy about it. I raise an eyebrow as I watch the Sangheili move a couple paces back, I slip the end of my staff onto the mid-staff with a snap calmly before I turn, secretly signing my coarse plan to the soldiers watching before I walk a little closer and hops to a seat on the overhanging polycrete railing, twiddling the necklace in my hand absently.

"So, this is what you lot have been so fervently searching for..." I muse, looking the gem over nonchalantly, stalling for time to let the soldiers get into position.

"Give us the relic and we will let you both go in peace." the Sangheili promises emptily and I smile, snapping my cutting gaze to his with a curt frown.

"Don't treat me the fool Major. I may be a youth and female at that. But do not let those blind you – I am far more capable then the adults of my own kind believe. I will give you truth and in turn _expect _the same." I watch the alien closely noting each subtle movement of their body and thought playing over their eyes as he considers me. I wait until he seems to smirk and relax slightly, watching me as I also smirk, but more broadly.

"Good. You understand. I've had less luck with the men of my own race. I will offer this – the child leaves our midst with your word as an honorable Sangheili she will not be harmed and promise me your best fighter for a _little spar_ and if they defeat me the relic is yours. However if I win, I keep my necklace intact." I state seriously, shifting my weight on the railing calmly.

"And what if I order my soldiers to kill the both of you and take it?" He suggests amused, obviously thinking me quite the fool. I just smile at him slyly "I can crush it before the first bullet strikes me dead." I state, picking up a similar sized piece of rubble and crushes it to make my point very clear before I flip the gem about into my hand deadly calm.

"Besides. I'm sure you're just as curious as I. If I can really defeat one of your kind in a one on one match. What is there to lose but time indulging my curiosity. After all, the child isn't what you need, and she will no doubt die when you glass the planet. As will I. At least allow me to attempt a death in combat. Only cowards face death running like... Lesser beings from the inevitable." I half glance at the Unggoy, speaking my best in his own language, noting the aliens shift their footing, obviously surprised and unsettled somewhat by it.

However he seems only more intrigued by my manor and ability with their native language as he considers my offer thoughtfully. I listen to the odd protest from the other major and lower ranked Sangheili as the officer paces slightly before looking at the child and the Unggoy behind her in silence for a moment.

"Release her." He orders and I smile broadly, dropping my bag onto the ground with a heaviness that makes the Major glance and look as I shift my shoulders more comfortably.

"But... Ghost..." She looks at me concerned and afraid, before I snap my attention to her seriously.

"Remember the path I told you about?" I look at her seriously and watches her nod worriedly.

"Good. Go to it. Follow it. And never look back. Am I understood?" I order, watching as her eyes begin to fill with tears before she nods and begins to cry.

"Now go." I order sternly as I hop down, making sure my back is always kept to the wall and my six covered, still not trusting the soldier's haven't fucked off on us. I watch her blubber for a second too long as I snap the pieces of my staff together and slams the butt end on the ground with a metallic ring.

"I SAID MOVE!" I bark commandingly causing her to jump and look at me surprised and hurt before turning on her heel and runs away now openly sobbing.

"Be safe little one." I think to myself as I place the necklace back on.

"Such worry for a doomed child." the major coos tauntingly and I smirk softly.

"She should die happy and naive of what happens here. Not like some common animal crushed beneath one's foot, like the humans who died two days ago." I look up at him placidly, my words catching his full attention as he looks at me, unlike before when it could've been easily torn away. Now his eyes and focus are entirely on me as I straighten my posture with a calm ease, holding my staff in my right hand. My comment making it very clear I am aware he is the one who commanded the raid on the Hold.

"So who shall be the challenger?" I poke at him tauntinly and smiles as I lower my face mask and lifts my visor to reveal my features to him, watching the Sangheili in blue and Unggoy shift or the smaller aliens move away fearfully.

"I will." he states seriously, drawing the hilt of that strange glowing blade I have seen few only his rank carry.

"When your ready." I offer, shifting my stance as the aliens and Sangheili around us back off, giving us plenty of room so they may safely watch.

"Oh, and I offer no apologies to anyone who gets in the way and killed for it." I state openly so they and hopefully the soldiers can hear my hint.

"After all. I am fighting for my life. Though that's nothing new." I smile slightly, watching his feet slide slightly, balancing his weight beautifully.

"Oh he's not gonna be easy... This'll hurt if those soldiers picked up and left. Aw well. Least I'll die fighting." I think to myself as I wait patiently.

It happens in a flash after a long and tense wait. He closes the gap and I smile, having caught him and narrowly ducks his first blows, parrying a couple with just my staff, not even having taken the cover off my blade – yet. I feel him out just as much as he feels my skills out while we move about the courtyard barely an arms length from one another, flashes of his sword swinging are almost dizzying for me to follow, but my training has made me accustomed to it. And as we get more entrenched with our fight my focus turns to the only immediate threat around me – _him_.

My senses hone, focusing entirely on him and smirks once its where I want it, suddenly whipping the cover off the blade and turns the tables on him, going on the offence suddenly. He doesn't falter to his credit as I block his blows, throwing in a few of my own, utilizing my speed, smaller size, and agility to my full advantage – which is marginal compared to his experience and training which quite obviously has me at the combat disadvantage. Though I've never let those odds stop or slow me but to drive me harder. I will either die or learn from this and carry it with me.

I see a few deliberate openings which I know are only to draw me in and I smirk, suddenly getting in close and flips him bodily with great effort before jumping narrowly out of the way of his lashing sword, twisting myself so it only catches the edge of my clothes and not my flesh which would give me a definitely deadly cut.

I know all too well even the slightest nick or injury would prove fatal in this match. I pause panting slightly as I watch him rise to his feet. We hardly pause a moment before coming back together, myself feigning weakness as to bring an end to this before my endurance is pushed beyond my known limits. I pray he goes for the bait as many have done in the past but he doesn't and instead goes for the side his sword had caught my pantleg – Mistake.

We rush past one another and come to a stop opposite one another, tense but unmoving.

"Demon.." he finally breaks the tense silence with some recognition while I feel some blood running down from my nose and I cough slightly, blood slipping from the corners of my mouth as I smile proudly and turns to him, blood dripping to the pavement.

"Now you know how foolish I am." I smirk devilishly noting the corpses of his soldiers laying splayed about the ground around us, from the soldiers execution of my plan, who come up around us with their rifles levelled cautiously. I set the butt of my staff on the ground, the flat side of the blade facing him, stained with his own purple blood as he drops to his knees then to the ground on his back from the deep cut I had levied to his abdomen, leaving him bleeding out, but not fully dead.

"Thank you Major. It was an honor to learn from a skilled warrior like yourself." I cross my arm over my chest and bows respectfully, before I too sink to my knees, coughing out a mouthful of blood.

"You _are_ a fool!" I hear the male soldier who've I have done the most talking with, scold me as he jogs over to my side and begins to check my wound from the fight.

"You're bleeding pretty bad.. You need a doctor.." he states concerned before I push myself to my feet, using my staff to haul myself to my feet stubbornly.

"Yup. Worth it though." I smile to myself satisfied as I dig a can out of my left thigh bag and injects the contents of the medical sealant foam into the wound on my abdomen.

"Sometimes a simple sparring match can tell you volumes about a person. That left me with more questions then answers unfortunately." I exhale as I turn to pickup my bag but stops when I see one of the team sling it and I hear the other sigh as he comes up beside me.

"That was a dumb idea and incredibly reckless..." he shakes his head and I grin, beginning to walk as I pull my visor down with a smirk.

"Better then having an all out firefight and spending who knows how long stuck here. Cides. I ain't gonna learn shit about face to face combat if I keep sniping." I smirk and ducks a rock which bounces harmlessly off the soldier's armor.

"MEANIE! GHOST IS A BIG MEANING!" Saje scolds me emotionally as she jogs out of the tunnel entrance with one of the female soldiers calmly following behind her.

"I didn't want you to see me die." I look at her calmly after using my sleeve to wipe the blood off my chin calmly, noting her sudden stop and gaping stare.

"Its just dye and I bit my cheek." I explain simply, noting her paleness at the blood on me.

"But... There's... So much..." she stammers as her eyes widen in shock and I smile soothingly.

"I was supposed to be mortally wounded hun." I pat her head as I walk up beside her then keeps walking.

"Alright, lead the way." I motion her to come along with a wave of my arm and watches her brighten, believing my story the blood is just red dye and she jogs up ahead of me to the soldier in front and begins to guide the way happily.

"Why'd you lie to her?" the leader of the team finally questions suspiciously as we walk the last stretch of the tunnel to the field opening after a rather long silence amongst us all, outside Saje's happy chattering.

"She witnessed her whole world come crashing down in a torrent of blood soaked bodies and screams of the dying. She's going to need therapy to stay somewhat sane after that. We do not need her having a meltdown. And I don't want her to lose her only hopes at sanity over what happened back there with that Sangheili." I state smoothly as I pause and hangs back with him to explain it out of her earshot.

"I've seen reactions like that before and we can't afford to have her snap unpredictably. Not now and not till she gets to a doctor to deal with that. I wasn't sure she'd seen her family's last moments, but that reaction confirmed she saw enough to cause damage to her mental and emotional states." I explain seriously before we continue walking to keep up but at a distance.

"You're sure?" he questions after a few moments and I nod once, grimly.

"She's never seen or witnessed anything even close to a fist fight till the Covenant came and her world came crashing down around her. Then literally and stole everything and everyone she knew and loved right from under her. I'm dead sure that I'm right." I state seriously and wipes the seriousness off my face as she comes bounding over curiously to us.

"What you two dooing?" she questions with playful insinuations watching me flail a bit like we'd been caught doing something. "Uh. Nothing! Nope. Not planning nothing. Nope! Hey, that looks like the exit." I quickly ramble off and ducks around her, immediately regretting it when my wound reminds me sharply but I hide the pain with ease from years of practice, thankful she bought my ploy by her giggle and footsteps following after me.

"You're silly Ghost." She giggles happily falling into step with me and I smile at her fondly.

"Am not... I'm totally uh... Not silly." I protest back with mock feebleness making her giggle more as she cuddles her toy rabbit close for comfort as we catch up with the pair scouting the field.

"The trees have been pushed back further then you predicted." one of them mention to me after I put my finger to my lips looking at Saje who gets my hint and stays quiet, holding her rabbit, which privately worries me but I hide it as I move upto the front and looks out carefully. I slip my rifle off and glasses the field carefully for hidden anything from snipes to mines.

"It's clean. No mines or hidden Covenant. I've got a feeling it's clean as well, but going to be chancy we might get spotted by an over watch if there is one. There's something Covenant watching the outer reaches of the city, but its not steady. Too big an area and low priority to have someone constantly watching. But to be safe we should hustle the rest of the way to your LZ." I explain, barely moving from my position kneeling by the exit of the tunnel.

"A feeling?" One of them questions somehow recognizing my meaning with some surprise.

"Ghost has those a lot.." Saje answers definitely and I smile slightly as I relax and sling my rifle after standing up to face them.

"Just a suggestion from how I've seen the Covenant operate since they hit the planet." I state calmly. I watch the leader pause half a moment before his body language tells me he is handing out orders to his team mates before stepping forward and thumbs me to one of his cohorts near the back and I nod silently as the third male gently picks Saje up with one arm, so she's sitting on his forearm.

"Hold on tight." he says gently and she does as told. I pause and steps over, taking her bunny when I get a bad feeling about it falling and tucks it to her backpack securely like I had done before and gently pats her head once.

"So you don't lose him and we don't lose you!" I ruffle her hair gently before I walk back to the other soldier after she giggles happily.

"You going to be okay?" they whisper slightly as the first pair check then begin crossing at lightning speed.

"I'll hold it together. But that's the last time for awhile I'm gonna be going one on one with onna those aliens for awhile that's for damn sure." I wince slightly, folding my forearm over my stomach when the wound complains loudly.

"I'll need to let the wound heal first." I state brazenly as the leader of our group signs to get ready before he gives the signal to go and we fluidly file out from the tunnel in a fast lope, each pounding step sending jolts of pain through my body from the wound and jostling of the biofoam which is beginning to crack from the strain, sending more blood slowly dripping through my gloved fingers as we run. There's no pause as we break the treeline and keep running, following their scout to the LZ where a Pelican is indeed waiting.

We stop only for them to contact the marines guarding it so we can approach safely.

"Captain wants you to report in the moment you arrived." One of the marines states to the lead of the strange armored soldiers who nods once and heads to the front of the dropship.

"Damn... What the hell chewed her up and spat her out..." One of the marines poke one of their cohorts when they spot me and the last soldier step out of the treeline. I'm now obviously limping with blood coming through my fingers slowly, but steadily.

"Probably onna those freaks in the armor..." the other snorts disgustedly as they begin backing up and their team's medic hurries over to me.

"Jeezus... You need help now... Or you're going to bleed out." she worries and I grasp her wrist when she reaches out to check my wound.

"Not now. That kid – has psychosis and if she sees I'm seriously wounded is going to lose it. So keep it down. I've still got enough Bio-foam holding me together to wait. This is pooled blood from behind the foam that's seeping out, nothing too fresh." I explain in a hushed tone as she looks at me at a total loss at my manor.

"I can't just -" she begins and I gently bump her with my shoulder as we begin to walk to the pelican.

"You're not going to watch me die. Bleed. Yeah. However that little girl thinks I'm all that's left in her world. Her family and everyone she knew was killed two days ago right in front of her eyes. She nearly snapped and shut down when she saw the blood. I've convinced her its dye." I explain calm, but dead serious as we step into the back of the pelican and she looks at me then to the little girl getting help from the soldier who'd been carrying her to get her bunny from between her and her backpack patiently.

"That cuddling of the rabbit is a sign of the damage. She's lost comfort and already knows I'm injured, lets not have her house of cards crumble and she's lost totally." I finish seriously, watching as she turns and looks at me, concern written on her face but she nods.

"Alright. But I'm going to monitor you damn close..." she affirms seriously and I smirk amused.

"I won't stop ya. Why not just keep her distracted... I can't. That's one thing I just don't know what the hell to... Do..." I blink surprised as I watch a couple of the marines chatting with her.

"Ghost saved me!" she pipes motioning to me and I exhale a bit wearily as the medic and I find a couple seats nearby.

"Ghost...?" the two look at one another and I smile faintly.

"Yeah. I was called that for how I seemed to move around and appear like a ghost passing through walls." I explain smoothly as the one looks at me and raises his eyebrow at his cohort about the blood and she signs to keep it quiet cause of the kid.

"So, Saje – what'd you name your toy?" I question, getting off the topic that's obviously touching the edges of her memories about the Hold being attacked. I watch her far off stare change and she suddenly perks, looking at me happily.

"I named him Mr Bun bun!"she chimes happily and I relax, resting my head against the back wall tiredly.

"That's a good name dear. So, what kind of food you got shipside? I'm sure Saje's about getting hungry." I question offhandedly watching her eyes light up and her suddenly stiffen up with a squeak looking at the other soldiers excitedly. I smile a bit and counts the rivets in the ceiling as I control my breathing and heart rate to keep a handle on both the pain and my blood loss while hearing in the distance Saje's over-excited chatter about food and the odd chuckle from the 'regular' soldiers.

I answer her calmly when she asks me something, but she doesn't seem concerned about my less active demeanour.

"Tired out?" a young private asks amused and I laugh slightly.

"You could say that." I answer, still holding my side.

"I'm not used to the amount of energy or trouble little kids like her can get into." I exhale wearily as I straighten up in my seat stiffly and looks at him.

"So what exactly are you supposed to be? I mean, you don't seem like one of them.." he questions curiously, motioning to the armored soldiers who I'd arrived at the LZ with who are grouped together as the closed back of the pelican, where they settled in after everyone was on board and we lifted off.

"No I'm not a soldier. Just a civilian. I grew up on the streets so fighting and surviving comes naturally for me." I explain simply before I look at Saje calmly when I hear some chatter about being near their ship.

"Hey Saje, doc says when we get to the ship we're going to the infirmary for checkups and they wana have a look at my stitches." I explain as the medic returns from the front but stops dead when I speak, looking at me surprised but Saje just smiles and nods happily, holding her bunny.

"Okay! Then we go eat food?!" she bubbles brightly at me and I smile warmly.

"Well dear. Ghost is bigger then you. So it'll take our doctors longer to check her injuries and treat them. They may keep her in bed to heal and rest for a bit." the medic jumps in as I try to come up with something on the fly, after hearing her conversation with someone up front.

"Oh... But I'll see Ghost again... Right?" She asks the medic worriedly, squeezing her bunny in her small arms as I watch silently.

"So long as we both behave and I don't punch anyone out, like Jalapeno at the old mall." I offer and she giggles.

"That was funny. He screamed like a little girl when you picked him up and put him in the fountain." she laughs and I smile amused.

"I thought that was his dad." I joke causing her to stop giggling and begin to think back to the days long before the war when we first met. She suddenly smiles and looks at me brightly as the other soldiers begin to unhook.

"The dad screamed like a girl. Jalapeno squealed." she giggles as I chuckle then wince, regretting the laugh.

"Well... A thirteen year old shouldn't pick on, let alone threaten a 3 year old. Let alone a 30 year old man stand there and encourage it." I shrug simply as she nods surely.

"Yeah! Only bad people do that!" she nods definitely and I smile, unclipping in time with the soldiers and rises to my feet carefully.

"Damn rights. And don't worry Saje, you're going to be safe here. No one in their right mind is going to pick on a little girl like you. Especially when they find out you're an ankle biter." I smile as the ship touches town with a bit of a jolt after she grins, showing her teeth proudly, making one of the ODST's she had been talking with chuckle.

"I'll keep an eye on her." He promises patting my shoulder and I nod gratefully.

"Thank you. But I'm not kidding about her being an ankle biter... I taught her how to defend herself. So... Sometimes it's easier to hold the victim then try and get between them..." I explain, obviously from personal experience, making him chuckle along with his cohort who gently picks her up.

"Alright. You come with me." The medic grabs my bicep and moves to pull me towards the ramp but her hand slips from how slick it is with blood and Saje giggles, unaware as the ODST carries her to the lowering ramp of the pelican in preparation to leave.

I wordlessly position myself to ensure there's no way Saje can see the obvious blood on the medic's hand and looks at the woman simply. "Lead the way." I state calmly as she looks at her hand shocked then to me and swallows, turning pale under her standard issue green battle gear.

"You're... Not... Human..." the words tumble from her mouth in shock as her brown eyes look up at mine shocked. I don't say anything as the ODST's carry Saje off the dropship, her talking all too happy and oblivious to whats going on inside it.

"Hell if I know." I exhale suddenly grumpy and shakes my head.

"Follow us." the friendly one of the armored soldiers orders as I turn around to leave her. I stride off the pelican, thankful for the second wind of adrenaline, or having gone into shock, so I can hopefully get myself to the infirmary. At least... I hope I will, before my body gives out. I notice he has a new cohort who's walking with us, keeping a wary eye on me as I walk between the two, now no longer needing to hide the amount of pain or damage I've suffered, now that Saje is no longer with me.

"Where'd you get the equipment to make your outfit?" the friendly one questions, trying to get me talking so I wont pass out and I smirk, pulling my helmet off and holds it out to him as we walk, my hand shaking fairly hard.

"That should satisfy the questions. I had a feeling this day would come when the planet was hit so I wrote everything I can remember about my past, training, beliefs, pertinent data, personal specialities of both combat and non, video of scouting missions, Covenant activity and behaviours. Also, what I have of the languages and rough translations, caste systems, some data I stole from a Covenant ship I infiltrated. I think starmaps are in there as well. But its squiggly lines to me with some faint understanding of some sentence structuring." I begin, causing his cohort to keep staring at me intensely while he looks at my offered helmet then to me apparently surprised.

"I made it to withstand a beating and hold eight data crystal chips along with a crystal cube which an AI helped me sort and store the data into the setup before I ripped them from the city systems and carried their data crystal with me for awhile so the Covenant wouldn't gain access to her, but I was attacked at one of my camps and the crystal was destroyed by a stray round." I explain simply as he takes the helmet, considering me for a moment longer before he nods.

"Alright..." he says a bit unsurely and I smile faintly.

"Next attempt at conversation? Or have I left you too speechless, big man?" I tease him jokingly as I look up at the easily foot taller teen who seems to snap out of his daze slightly and turns his attention back to me.

"How old are you?" he questions finally as if it's been nagging at him and I laugh slightly as we stop by the lift and wait patiently.

"15 as far as I know. Ever since I can remember I spent all my time in the library and museums. Before my trainer gave me things to study as well as taught me more then I could describe in one sitting. Which is why I put the information on the chips in the helmet." I smirk, daring for more questions and chances to be verbally playful.

"You must've slept sometime." he retorts disbelieving as the doors open and the soldiers on step off before we walk on calmly.

"I did. Short naps throughout the day." I smile faintly, leaning against the side of the lift feeling my strength begin to ebb quickly away.

"What was your favourite thing to study." he questions as I lean against the side of the lift cage.

"Never had one thing." I pant, closing my eyes, putting my right hand to my neck to feel my pulse.

"Not good... Lost too much blood..." I think as I open my eyes and cusses privately when I'm greeted by a fog.

"You've lost a lot of blood." he cuts through my inner thoughts which are slowing down and I inhale a deep breath to make sure I am actually breathing.

"That pale eh?" I half joke getting breathless as I hear the doors open and listens to his cohort move off the lift, which I follow the sound of their footsteps.

"Can you see?" the one I've been speaking with questions now very concerned.

"I'll answer you if you indulge my one curiosity..." I offer a bit confidently as I look to where I hear him walking beside me.

"...What is it?" he questions cautiously.

"What the hell is your name?" I look to him exasperatedly.

"Oh... It's Kurt." he answers a bit surprised and I smile, returning my gaze forward, stopping abruptly when I hear his comrade stop.

"You're blind aren't you...?" Kurt asks again, stepping closer, concerned and I smile calmly.

"Guess I was too ambitious taking on that Major with only basic body armor..." I state before my legs buckle and my arm drops from my side as I let myself finally go, having not told them that I'd lost feeling in my body while on the lift and my heart was steadily slowing down while we got to this level.

The sluggish and heavy feeling I'd lost the fight to 15 paces ago finally crashes in as the last seconds of my awareness begin to ebb away.

"Yup... Too ambitious." I think to myself as the darkness closes in on my last moments.

* * *

Well I hope everyone enjoyed this story. Please review, it really helps and the more people who ask real nice, might just get a part two of Ghost's story. ;p

Thank you!


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